Tourists and business travelers from Zambia and Malawi must pay a deposit of up to $15,000 when seeking a US visa, the State Department has announced, in a move likened to a visa ban for the African nations,

Critics have denounced the bond scheme as a ‘legalised shakedown’ that profits from vulnerable, lawful travellers.

Business travelers and tourists from Malawi and Zambia will have to pay deposits of as much as $15,000 to secure US visas, a measure aimed at curbing overstays in the world’s biggest economy.